blah blah blah | June 8

Dear colleagues,

Well, what a great night celebrating our people at the Staff Excellence Awards on Friday. This blah is out a couple of days later than usual because of the event. It was really special to see so many of us coming together to cheer on and celebrate one another. This special edition of the blah has a full wrap-up of the finalists, winners, and a heap of photos to capture all the glitz and glamour from the evening.

Our values were noticeable through every single nomination this year, and the calibre of finalists was a powerful reminder of the incredible people we have in our health service. We celebrated outstanding individuals and teams delivering deeply compassionate, specialised care on the frontlines. Health Minister Tim Nicholls came along to the event again this year and remarked to me about the exceptional work our health service was doing for our community.

A big thank you and congratulations to our finalists and winners, to those people who attended on the night, to the hundreds of people who put forward a nomination, and to everyone within the health service for the work you do every day.

Another big congratulations has to go to the team behind Two Worlds, One Healthcare System: Eliminating Racism Together, Humans in Health, and Making Deadly Decisions, which was recognised as Highly Commended in the Health and Wellbeing category at the 2026 Queensland Reconciliation Awards. This recognition reflects the outstanding work of our Indigenous Health Service Division team and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff who shared their lived experiences through the Humans in Health campaign. Their stories created opportunities for reflection, learning, and conversation across our health service, which will help strengthen cultural safety and build a more inclusive workplace for everyone. I encourage everyone to take a moment and visit the Humans in Health page on QHEPS.

Keeping to the theme of recognising excellence, nominations are now officially open for the Townsville HHS NAIDOC Awards 2026. This year’s national theme, 50 Years of Deadly, marks a momentous half-century milestone. Within our health service, these awards are our opportunity to celebrate the staff and teams who lead with cultural integrity, mentor peers, and champion true health equity. Whether it’s highlighting an early-career rising star, a dedicated trainee, or a team showing collective excellence, now is the time to give them a shout out. Please take a few moments to jump onto QHEPS, look over the criteria, and nominate a deserving colleague before entries close on 19 June 2026.

On Saturday, we launched our new North Queensland Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Service with the Minister to improve access and treatment for women and girls experiencing conditions including severe period pain, unresolved pelvic pain, and endometriosis, a chronic, inflammatory condition where tissue grows outside the uterus. This service will bring together gynaecology, pain management, nursing, surgical services, education, physiotherapy, and psychological support. Thank you to the Minister for launching this important service.

On a final note, it’s been a very big fortnight, as it always is for our health service. Wherever you are across our hospitals and community clinics today, thank you for your focus, your dedication, and for showing up for our patients and each other.

Until next time, kk

Integrity

Drug and Alcohol Brief Intervention Team

Compassion

Intellectual and Development Disabilities Clinic Team

Accountability

Courtney Fisher

Respect

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre Health Child Development Program Team

Engagement

Michael Illin

Excellence in Staff Wellbeing

Louise Thiele

Rural Health Worker of the Year

Helen Shaw

Purpose

Emergency Medicine

Education and Training Team

Vision

North Queensland Kidney

Transplant Service Team

People’s Choice

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre Health Child Development Program Team

Minister’s Choice

Kirsty Swain

Delivering for Queensland

Ayr and Ingham Health Service Surgical

Excellence on show

Our people were the main attraction at the Townsville Hospital and Health Service Staff Excellence Awards held at The Ville ResortCasino on Friday.

Amongst the award winners, retired surgeon Dr John Hack was also conferred the title of Consultant Emeritus at the beginning of the night.

Health Service chief executive and emcee for the evening Kieran Keyes said it was a wonderful chance to celebrate the achievements of staff who embodied the values, vision, and purpose of the Health Service.

“Over the past 12 months our people have shown how dedicated they are, working together to deliver exemplary health care for the people of north Queensland,” he said.

Special guest, Minister for Health Tim Nicholls congratulated all finalists and winners.

“It takes a special type of person to step forward and take responsibility for the health and wellbeing of others,” he said.

“Thank you for your passion and humanity, thank you for being those people.”

View all the winners and videos on QHEPS

Townsville Hospital and Health Service

Scan to watch Accountability category video

Scan to watch Purpose category video

Townsville Hospital and Health Service

Compassion award winners: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Clinic team

Scan to watch

Compassion category video

Paralpi by Zaachariaha Fielding

Paralpi extends Zaachariaha’s acclaimed Inma series and reflects a deeply cultural and immersive narrative grounded in Country. The artwork depicts the sounds of Paralpi, a significant place just outside Mimili on the eastern APY Lands in South Australia. As Zaachariaha describes, Paralpi is a place where people come to embrace and celebrate children, where they are taught by Elders to move and mimic their Clan emblem — for Mimili, this being the maku (witchetty grub).

Nominations open for NAIDOC Week Awards

The Townsville Hospital and Health Service has begun preparations for NAIDOC Week, with the theme ‘50 Years of Deadly’.

This theme celebrates five decades of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander strenght, leadership, culture, and acheivement.

Staff are encouraged to nominate a colleague with a passion for improving health outcomes among First Nations Australians for this year’s awards.

Indigenous health service division service director Salli-Ann Buttigieg said the awards provided an opportunity to recognise staff and teams who were helping create a healthcare system where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples felt respected, valued, and safe.

“These awards acknowledge those who are helping drive meaningful change through health equity, cultural safety, and anti-racism initiatives, while improving experiences and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, families, and communities,” she said.

“The awards also reflect the principles behind initiatives such as Deadly Decisions which encourage all of us to have culturally safe conversations, challenge assumptions, and work together to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are active partners in decisions about their care.

“As we celebrate ‘50 Years of Deadly’, we honour the strength, resilience, and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“We also recognise those who are helping create a better future for the generations that follow.”

The winners will be announced at the NAIDOC Week Awards ceremony on Wednesday, 8 July at Townsville University Hospital.

Nominations close on 19 June.

The NAIDOC Week Awards will run as part of a wider calendar of events during the official week of celebrations and acknowledgment.

For more information on the awards and other NAIDOC Week events across the health service, visit QHEPS.

Sam back home after near-fatal shark attack

Seven months after being almost fatally mauled by a shark in the pristine waters off Thursday Island, 15-year-old Sam Nai is finally back home with his family after more than 20 surgeries in Townsville University Hospital.

Surviving what his surgeon Dr Brendan O’Connor called ‘some of the most extensive injuries I’ve ever seen’, Sam’s recovery is the miracle his family and treating team at Townsville University Hospital weren’t sure they’d see.

A day at the beach, like so many others for Sam and his mates last October, ended in horror when the shark attacked out of nowhere.

Incredibly Sam swam 20 metres to shore with bite wounds to his abdomen so savage they ripped the lining from his tummy wall, exposing his stomach and intestines.

His mum, Shanna Mosby, was at home when she got the call.

“I remember getting the phone call late Saturday afternoon telling me to get the Esplanade because Sam had been attacked by something in the water,” Shanna said.

“I got there, and Sam said, ‘I’m in pain, and you run really fast’. I just comforted him and told him, ‘for you my boy, I’d grow wings if I had to’.

“He was squeezing my hand, he was saying he was in pain, and I just kept reassuring him it was good to feel pain, ‘bubba, pain is a good thing’.

“I was there holding his hand, and I remember it was loud. People just came out of the woodwork, and everybody was talking over each other, and I was still on the phone with the ambulance.

“My nephew took his shirt off so we could use it as a bandage to keep Sam’s intestines and organs in his body.

“It never crossed my mind that I was going to lose him; I was just thinking what his life was going to look like now when this was all done.”

Sam was airlifted from Thursday Island to Townsville University Hospital following the attack.

“I was in the helicopter with Sam, and I wasn’t panicking or anything like that,” Shanna said.

“I was just watching the nurse and doctor and counting how many bags of blood they had to change; it was six.

“Sam is my extrovert, he is bubbly, fearless, brave, strong willed, and assertive.

“I knew life was going to be different for him. Different was ok, we could do different.”

Sam’s injuries were mere millimetres from being fatal, causing the loss of large amounts of tissue, muscle, fat, and skin on the left side of his abdomen.

Brendan said when he first received the call about Sam, he feared the worst.

“While I had some idea of the extent of the injuries, it’s something you never really know until you see them in person,” he said.

“The big concern initially was whether any of his organs or major blood vessels had been lost or injured.

“His stomach and intestines were exposed because he had lost all of the lining of his tummy wall.”

Miraculously the rest of Sam’s organs, including his bowel, were uninjured.

“A millimetre further and the bowel would have been involved which could have been fatal,” Brendan said.

What followed was four months of surgeries, sometimes multiple surgeries a week, to reconstruct Sam’s abdomen.

“The initial surgeries were for inspecting the damaged tissue and cleaning,” Brendan said.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service

It was very important to me to ensure that he received absolutely the best care he could and I’m very proud the whole team at TUH was able to provide that level of care to him without having to send him further still from his home to somewhere like Brisbane.

Dr Brendan O’Connor

“After being attacked, Sam had to swim for shore so there was a lot of sand and debris that had to be cleaned out from his torso.

“He was in the operating theatre three times in the first week for us to check the wound, see what damaged tissue needed to be removed, and to fully assess the extent of the injuries.

“One of the challenges we had during the reconstruction phase of his abdomen was that it is still growing.

“We had to consider something that would grow with him, so we decided on using a biodegradable matrix which is typically used for burn injuries and acts as scaffold for the body to regenerate the dermis, the deeper layer of our skin,” he said.

Brendan said because there were so many surgeries, he and his young patient became ‘quite good mates’.

“He’d ask me to sing him a song while he was being sedated for surgery; luckily I’m Irish so that wasn’t a problem,” he said.

“The next surgeries were about building those layers of matrix onto his wound, using mesh to reinforce his tummy wall and doing skin grafts.”

Brendan said Sam’s survival was the stuff of legend.

“It was a very, very significant injury,” he said.

“Watching his recovery has been special, and it has been fantastic to see him when he was first able to get up and about, then quickly moving onto a Zimmer frame, roller frame, crutches, and then being able to walk back and forth from the hospital to the Ronald McDonald House.

“He has a great attitude, which has helped his body heal.

“From doctors, to nursing, and allied health, Sam had a big team of healthcare professionals behind him.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be able to help Sam.

“It was very important to me to ensure that he received absolutely the best care he could and I’m very proud the whole team at TUH was able to provide that level of care to him without having to send him further still from his home to somewhere like Brisbane.

“His care was as good as what he would have received at any children’s hospital in the world.”

Back home on Thursday Island, Sam’s mum said he had settled back in well.

“He is back in his dance troupe, he is back at school, and he has signed up to do a colour fun run as well,” Shanna said.

“God was with Sam that day.”

I just comforted him and told him, ‘for you my boy, I’d grow wings if I had to Shanna Mosby

New clinic a lifeline for women and girls with pelvic pain

A clinic for women and girls with debilitating period pain and endometriosis launched at Townsville University Hospital over the weekend, bringing specialist doctors, nurses, and allied health staff together to deliver the region’s first joined-up pelvic pain service.

Launched by Minister for Health Tim Nicholls, the $3.2 million North Queensland Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Service will improve access and treatment for women and girls experiencing conditions including severe period pain, unresolved pelvic pain, and endometriosis, a chronic, inflammatory condition where tissue grows outside the uterus.

Women’s and children’s service group director Vicki Carson said pelvic pain and endometriosis are common, underdiagnosed, and often undertreated.

“We also know that early intervention for heavy menstrual bleeding at a young age may avoid endometriosis and the service will also have a strong focus on avoiding disease,” she said.

Someone who knows all too well the devastating effect of pelvic pain is 17-year-old Ryan Catholic College student Emily Walker, who has both endometriosis and adenomyosis where tissue, similar to the tissue lining the uterus, grows within the uterus’s muscle wall.

“I’ve had severe pelvic pain since I was 11 but it took quite a few years to get all the diagnoses,” Emily said.

“The pain would come with unbearable migraines and fatigue, and I was struggling to go to school and do extracurricular activities.”

Emily’s doctor, pain management specialist Dr Hannah Bennett, said pelvic pain looked and felt different for everyone.

“It can be constant or come and go, it can be mild or severe,” she said.

“Pelvic pain includes very painful periods that stop you participating in your normal activities, pain during sex, burning, aching, or a stabbing pain in the pelvis.”

Hannah said pelvic pain was not something women and girls needed to ‘tolerate’.

“If pain happens most days, if it’s not helped by medication, and if affects your work, sleep or daily life, please see your GP,” Hannah said.

The service is part of the Queensland Women and Girls Health Strategy, a five-year, $247.93 million commitment to improve access to advanced, multidisciplinary pelvic and endometriosis services for women and girls across the state.

NICU jumps at Kangaroo-A-Thon

A family’s experience with their premature baby is highlighting the life-changing benefits of skin-to-skin contact as the Townsville University Hospital (TUH) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wraps up its annual two-week Kangaroo-A-Thon.

The Kangaroo-A-Thon, an initiative created by Miracle Babies Foundation, encourages parents to engage in kangaroo care (skin-to-skin cuddling) with their premature or unwell infants.

Families log as many hours as possible of kangaroo holding (including modified holding) over a two-week period, with the results then sent away and the winning hospital crowned.

For Mackay locals Jacqui and Brendan Pownall those hours have become a huge part of their son Jude’s progress.

Due to complications, Jacqui was urgently flown from Mackay to Townsville where Jude was born at 23 weeks on 28 February 2026 weighing just 633 grams.

Their first kangaroo cuddle came when Jude was just six days old and intubated.

“The moment I was able to hold him my heart was bursting with love and the world stood still, and Jude was the only thing that mattered,” Jacqui said.

“It truly was the most special thing, especially since we didn’t expect to be able to hold him for a long time due to all of the circumstances.”

TUH special care nursery registered nurse Michelle Ogden was part of the team leading the two-week initiative.

“The Kangaroo-a-thon is a really lovely way to encourage parents to spend time with their babies and enjoy those beautiful, important cuddles,” Michelle said.

“Often parents can get caught up in all the wires and alarms in the neonatal unit, and a quiet moment of cuddling can remind them that they are the parents and they absolutely can comfort their own baby.

“This year I also created ‘kangaroo cuddle passports’ to help parents feel empowered to record their cuddle hours and to give them something meaningful to take home when they’re discharged.”

TUH lactation consultant Nicole Summers said the Kangaroo-A-Thon was one of the most anticipated events in the neonatal unit.

“We encourage the initiative because it helps our babies’ wellbeing and promotes health and wellbeing for our parents,” Nicole said.

“Skin-to-skin supports infant wellbeing, boosts parental bonding, and from a lactation perspective, significantly increases milk supply.

“We are hoping to improve on our second-place finish in 2022 and come out on top this year,” she said.

Townsville team recognised at Queensland Reconciliation Awards

A Townsville Hospital and Health Service initiative focused on tackling racism and improving cultural safety has been recognised at the 2026 Queensland Reconciliation Awards.

The team behind Two Worlds, One Healthcare System: Eliminating Racism Together, Humans in Health and Making Deadly Decisions received a Highly Commended in the Health and Wellbeing category, recognising their efforts to create a more inclusive and culturally safe health service.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service chief executive Kieran Keyes said the recognition was a credit to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff who shared their stories through the Humans in Health campaign.

“This recognition reflects the dedication of our Indigenous health service division team and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff who so generously shared their stories,” Kieran said.

“We are incredibly proud of this achievement and of the staff whose courage and leadership continue to drive meaningful change across our health service.”

Learn more about the campaign here.

Yarning circle brings staff together during Reconciliation Week

Townsville Hospital and Health Service staff marked National Reconciliation Week by coming together for a Health Equity Yarning Circle focused on listening, learning and strengthening relationships.

The event in Federation Gardens at TUH provided a culturally safe space for staff to share experiences and reflect on how reconciliation could be advanced through everyday actions in healthcare settings.

This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme ‘All In’ calls on all Australians to play a role in building a more just, equitable and reconciled nation.

Executive director Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Amanda Cooms said the theme was a reminder that reconciliation required collective effort.

“Reconciliation cannot sit with only some of us –it requires all of us,” Amanda said.

“’All In’ means each conversation, each interaction, each decision and each act of leadership matters. It means standing together to create a health system where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel safe, respected, valued and empowered.”

A FIT-ing impact towards strengthening care

The Townsville Hospital and Health Service (HHS) frailty intervention team (FIT) recently hosted the Impact 26 FIT Future Forum, a half-day event dedicated to strengthening collaboration and improving outcomes for older people across the region.

The forum brought together 46 representatives from the HHS and the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network who provide acute and emergency care for older people in the community.

FIT project officer Joanna Lewis said the FIT provided emergency department equivalent outreach to people living in local residential aged care homes (RACH) and often collaborated with other teams within the HHS to support the individual care needs of residents.

“Workload pressures can often push teams into silos, so this forum was about pausing, reconnecting, and making sure teams are moving in the same direction,” Joanna said.

“The theme for the day was ‘timely care, right place, right care’ and was designed to futurise frailty care by strengthening relationships and aligning services.”

Geriatrician Dr Sonia Tate has been involved with FIT since its early development and said the team played a vital role in supporting RACHs.

“It’s been wonderful to watch FIT grow from an early idea into a fully established service,” Sonia said.

“A significant part of their impact comes from reducing avoidable hospital admissions, which is only possible because of the strong collaboration between staff across services.”

Townsville University Hospital emergency department allied health team leader Jenni Meehan said the forum had been a great opportunity to look at how collaboration could provide better care for the frail older cohort both in the community and in RACHs.

“FIT has been a key partner in my work since day one but because the health system is complex, meeting colleagues face to face is rare,” Jenni said.

“I think a lot of attendees will now have a better understanding of referral pathways and the work that we all take on, which will help us support patients more effectively.”

Joanna said she hoped the forum would inspire staff to keep talking, keep connecting, and keep working together under one umbrella to deliver the best possible care for the community.

“The forum was an opportunity to build on this great work already happening in frailty care and we hope to expand and host similar events in the future,” Joanna said.

Eat, walk, engage, and grow

Townsville University Hospital (TUH) recently welcomed Eat Walk Engage statewide clinical lead Professor Alison Mudge and program manager Prue McRae for their annual site visit, which included a stakeholder forum held in the Robert Douglas Auditorium.

TUH Eat Walk Engage team lead Lauren Matheson said the forum was a great opportunity to share the results of recent annual data collection and celebrate the successes of the past 12 months.

“It’s always a highlight of the year to have the statewide Eat Walk Engage leadership team visit,” Lauren said.

“Professor Mudge set the scene by sharing some of the latest evidence highlighting the significant and serious longer-term implications of delirium, and how this highlights urgency for targeted delirium prevention in hospital.

“Delirium is an important risk factor for future dementia, which is now the leading cause of death for Australians, and every additional episode adds to this risk.”

Lauren said it was great to reflect on the growth of the Eat Walk Engage program within the hospital since its introduction in 2020.

“We now have five wards engaged in the program and part of today was dedicated to celebrating the fantastic work our teams do day to day in delivering evidence-based delirium prevention,” she said.

“Those successes include seeing our wards performing well against a number of the statewide good practice benchmarks and seeing improvement year on year in important measures that reflect supporting nutrition and hydration, early graded mobility, and meaningful and social cognitive engagement for our patients.”

More than 70 participants from across the Townsville and Cairns and Hinterland HHSs attended the ‘Better Way To Care’ workshop, to learn more about the experience of older patients in hospital and share practical strategies to support recovery.

Participant feedback consistently highlights how stereotypes about older people are challenged and how simple tools and strategies introduced in the workshop can be readily applied in practice to improve communication, teamwork and care.

Townsville HHS rolls out mental health support for victims of 2025 floods

More support is available for north Queenslanders still struggling from the mental and emotional impacts of last year’s floods.

The Townsville Hospital and Health Service has launched, with help from the Commonwealth and State governments, the Disaster Recovery Team to offer mental health support to victims of the weather event.

During February last year, up to two metres of rain fell across some parts of north Queensland leading to major flooding in communities like Ingham.

Team leader Sara O’Reilly said that nearly 18 months later, some people were still feeling the impacts.

“While communities are highly resilient, the stress of ongoing recovery can push people towards a crisis point,” Sara said.

“Natural disasters are mass traumatic events.

“People might manage fine through years of disasters, but a new event, piled on top of life changes or insurance stresses, can cause someone to struggle.

“Intervening early means we can provide support before it reaches a crisis point.”

The multi-disciplinary team features mental health clinicians, doctors, administrative support, and dedicated peer workers.

Sara said the service bridged the gap between immediate disaster responses and acute crisis services.

“While people can refer themselves to us, we don’t just wait for them to come,” she said.

“We have been actively coordinating with local disaster management groups, neighbourhood centres, and non-government organisations to embed ourselves in impacted areas like the Burdekin, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, and Palm Island communities.

“Collaboration is the key to our success.

“Mental health following a natural disaster is just as important as cleaning up debris or fixing the foundations of a house.

“Having these dedicated resources highlights that wellness of the mind dictates how we function in society, maintain our relationships, and return to work.”

The service is free, does not require a formal mental health diagnosis, and can be agency or selfreferred.

Impacted community members can access the team via their GP, non-government organisations, or by reaching out to the team directly.

Title Title

We received nothing but excellent care throughout our stay. Nurse Naomi was amazing, truly living the values of dignity, respect and compassion and are a credit to your department.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Every staff member I encountered introduced themselves, explained what they would be doing, and treated me with kindness, professionalism, and genuine care throughout my visit. Please pass on my sincere thanks and appreciation to the whole team.

ENDOSCOPY

The nurses here were so helpful and went above & beyond to make my stay more comfortable in my time of need, many thanks.

SURGICAL WARD 1

A Note...Brighter

Gen Next debuts genetic sequencing machine

Thanks to community donations to Brighter Lives, Townsville University Hospital officially welcomed its $300,000 Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) machine last week.

The machine will enable rapid genetic testing to be done locally for a range of cancers including blood cancers, leukaemia, myeloma, lung, breast and melanoma cancers, along with bacterial infections.

“The NGS is the first of its kind in regional Queensland and the first located outside Brisbane,” Brighter Lives CEO Stephanie Naunton said.

Funds for the machine were raised through Brighter Lives’ Brighter Day campaign, thanks to strong community support.

Rotary Club of Townsville donated $150,000 on behalf of the late Santina Stephenson, who left funds to Rotary to support people like her who were facing cancer.

Townsville University Hospital staff specialist haematology Dr Joel Wight said the new technology would significantly improve turnaround times for patients who required testing.

“Until now, patient samples needed to be sent to Brisbane for testing, often taking between six to eight weeks for results,” Joel said.

“With the NGS machine now here in Townsville, turnaround times can be dramatically reduced.

“In urgent situations, data can be available in as little as 24 hours.”

Joel said the hospital would initially focus on sequencing blood cancers, with plans to expand testing capabilities in the future.

The equipment would also create opportunities for further locally led research.

Stephanie said the campaign highlighted the strength of community support across the region.

“We are so excited and grateful that through our community support we can deliver equipment that will make a difference locally for patients in north Queensland,” she said.

“This equipment will be supported by Pathology Queensland, who will ensure this donation makes a meaningful difference for patients and staff here.”

Capital works update

Works currently underway

Project: eHealth Infrastructure Maintenance Program

Work location: Various locations in TUH

Project: Charters Towers CT Scanner

Work location: Charters Towers Health Service

Project: Kirwan Health Communty Campus expansion

Work location: Kirwan Health Campus

Works on the way

Project: Multi-storey car park

Work location: Townsville University Hospital

Project: TUH Transit Lounge

Work location: DDU and Social Work Area

Project: Charters Towers Staff Accommodation

Work location: Charters Towers Health Service

Project: Palm Island Staff Accommodation

Work location: Palm Island Health Service

Have any questions?

Project: Ingham CT Scanner

Work location: Ingham Health Service

Project: Carpark 17 expansion

Work location: Adjacent TecNQ

Project: Ingham Staff Accommodation

Work location: Ingham Health Service

Project: Ayr CT Scanner

Work location: Ayr Health Service

Plans are currently underway to support staff through the changes that will occur in the coming months.

To accommodate so much growth at TUH, some staff will be required to relocate to new office spaces and to support this, we have commenced a Business Case for Significant Change with those teams who will be impacted by works undertaken at TUH.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any proposed changes, please contact the chief operating officer via email or THHS-InfrastructureOffice@health.qld.gov.au.

Recipe of the week Chicken and Veg Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes

Laugh of the blah

Cook time: 60 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

• 1 LARGE ONION, CHOPPED

• 3 CUPS OF FRESH VEGETABLES (EG, 1 RED CAPSICUM CHOPPED, 2 ZUCCHINI SLICED, 2 CELERY STICKS SLICED, 2 CARROTS SLICED, 1 LARGE POTATO CHOPPED IN BITE-SIZED PIECES)

• 500G PUMPKIN, PEELED AND CHOPPED IN BITESIZED PIECES

• 1 CHICKEN BREAST, CUT INTO THIN STRIPS

• 500 ML OF VEGETABLE STOCK

• 500ML WATER

Method

1. Heat the oil in large saucepan, add onion and chicken. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes over a medium heat until golden brown.

2. Stir in the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add stock to the saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce to low heat.

4. Cover and allow soup to simmer for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.

5. Stir in chicken, season with pepper, and cook until chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.

6. This recipe makes double quantity; freeze leftovers for future use.

Classifieds

FOR RENT

Break lease 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom unit in Rasmussen. Gated Units. Garage and on site parking. Will be vacant on the 22/23 June close to Becks Road and easy access to the Motorway. Very quiet units. Message Chris 0417639915.

OFFERS

Family-owned AuzPlumb offers THHS staff 10% OFF plumbing & roofing services plus a free home plumbing inspection. Services include blocked drains, hot water systems, leaks, taps, drainage, roofing, gutters, stormwater, maintenance, and repairs. QBCC license 15247673. Call 0434 768 447 or email info@ auzplumb.com.au

FOR SALE

F1 Golden Groodle Puppies | 5x male 4x Female Wormed, Vaccinated, microchipped, 6 weeks old. Looking for their forever homes. Beautiful temperament, would make ideal family pet. Visitation by appointment. QLD Dog Breeder Register BIN: 0018057500401. Available from May 23rd, 2026. Cost $2500 each. Phone 0437581389 (20/5)

Westinghouse dual wall oven and De Vanti cooktop, ceramic glass. Both are used but did work when we removed them to install our new oven and cooktop. $300.00 for both. Call Geoff Kendall 0466 629 436 (8/6)

Annandale 4 br, 2 bath home, pool, fully fenced private and secure in a court, fully airconditioned, 2 huge indoor living areas. Close to Hospital, JCU, and Lavarack Brracks. Walking distance to public private school, great group of shops, and several bus stops. Contact Monique 0450955736.

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